Decorative irrigation and soluble product delivery system

ABSTRACT

An article for storing and dispensing water. The article can include a housing and a plumbing system. The housing can define a cavity that is configured to hold a predetermined volume of water. The plumbing system is coupled to the housing and includes at least one delivery conduit and a system for selectively dispensing a predetermined portion of the predetermined volume of water to the at least one delivery conduit. A method for forming an article for storing and dispensing water is also provided.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/791,280 entitled “Decorative Irrigation and Soluble Product Delivery System” filed Apr. 12, 2006, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in its entirety herein.

INTRODUCTION

The present disclosure generally relates to irrigators for trees, shrubs and other vegetation and more particularly to an irrigator with a plurality of water compartments that may be separately accessed to distribute water.

Immediately after re-planting, a tree is relatively susceptible to drought since a large portion of its root system is typically lost when the tree is removed from its original location. In some areas of the country, the rate at which transplanted trees are lost can run upwards of 40 to 60 percent. To reduce the rate of loss, many consumers require a landscaper who installs the trees to water the trees at a predetermined frequency (e.g., 15 gallons of water every two days). While mandatory watering of newly transplanted trees has done much to reduce the rate at which the transplanted trees are lost, several drawbacks have been noted.

One such drawback concerns the cost that is incurred through relatively frequent deliveries of water to a tree. In this regard, the use and frequent operation of specialized water delivery trucks and the manpower for operating the truck and dispensing the water is relatively expensive and this cost is ultimately passed on to the purchaser.

Another drawback concerns the rate with which the water that is dispensed is absorbed by the tree. Specifically, the roots of a newly transplanted tree cannot absorb the several gallons of water that are dispensed over a span of a few minutes and therefore, much of the water that is dispensed in this manner is wasted. Accordingly, more frequent watering intervals where less water is dispensed would be beneficial to the tree, but would even further increase costs.

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/953,698 entitled “Irrigation and Soluble Product Delivery System”, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety as if fully set forth herein, discloses one type of irrigator that addresses the aforementioned drawbacks. While this device is suited for its intended purpose, it is nonetheless susceptible to improvement.

SUMMARY

In one form, the present teachings provide an article for storing and dispensing water. The article can include a housing and a plumbing system. The housing can define a cavity that is configured to hold a predetermined volume of water. The plumbing system is coupled to the housing and includes a delivery conduit and a means for selectively dispensing a predetermined portion of the predetermined volume of water to the at least one delivery conduit.

In another form, the present teachings provide a method for fabricating an article for storing and dispensing water. The method includes: providing a housing member, the housing member having a wall member and an open bottom; coupling a plurality of fittings to the housing member, the fittings extending through the wall member; coupling a valve to at least a portion of the fittings, the valves being operable for selectively enabling fluid communication through an associated one of the valves; and coupling a base to the housing member to close the open bottom.

Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view illustrating an irrigating article constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the irrigating article of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the irrigating article of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front, partially broken away perspective view of another irrigating article constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a rear view of another irrigating article having a plumbing system of the type that is employed in the irrigating article of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of still another irrigating article constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of yet another irrigating article constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the irrigating article of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of yet another irrigating article constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a portion of the irrigating article of FIG. 9, illustrating the base stretched over the open bottom of the housing member;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the irrigating article of FIG. 9, illustrating the retainer engaging the base to the housing member to thereby sealingly close the open bottom of the housing member;

FIG. 12 is a side elevation view of an irrigating article constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure as equipped with a fill fitting;

FIG. 13 is a side elevation of the irrigating article of FIG. 12 as installed proximate various shrubs and with the fill fitting coupled to a source of pressurized water.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS

With reference to FIGS. 1 through 3 of the drawings, an article constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention is generally indicated by reference numeral 10. The article 10 is configured to be capable of storing water and selectively dispensing the water to an area 12 proximate a root system of a tree 14. The article 10 can comprise a housing 20, a plurality of valves 22 and a lid 24.

The housing 20 can be unitarily formed from a suitable material, such as a UV stabilized polypropylene material, and may be colored in any desired manner. The housing 20 can define a cavity 26 for the storage of a suitable fluid, such as water. The housing 20 can include at least one outer wall 30. In the particular example provided, the housing 20 includes a bottom 32 that can cooperate with the outer wall 30 to define the cavity 26, but those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that a separate structure (not shown) that can wholly or partly define the cavity 26 could be received in the housing 20. The outer wall 30 can be configured in any desired shape, such as a shape that would blend into a given landscape. Examples of such shapes include boulders, columns, tree trunks and tree stumps. The outer wall 30 can have a texture and color that is suited to the particular shape. It will be appreciated that the texture and/or color of the outer surface of the outer wall 30 may be formed by a material that is employed to form the outer wall 30 (e.g., a plastic or concrete aggregate having a uniform through-color), or could be applied to the outer wall 30 (e.g., painted, sprayed). If the texture or color is applied to the outer wall 30, various materials, including sand, pebbles, rocks and/or sea shells, could be incorporated into the outer surface via an appropriate process, such as adhesive bonding.

A fill aperture 40 can be formed in the outer wall 30 and the lid 24 can be removably coupled to the housing 20 to selectively close the fill aperture 40. In the particular example provided, the fill aperture 40 is about six inches in diameter. The relatively large diameter of the fill aperture 40 permits the cavity 26 to be filled relatively easily and can permit access into the interior of the cavity 26 (e.g., for cleaning).

A plurality of dispensing apertures 42 can be formed through the outer wall 30 in a vertically spaced apart manner. Commercially-available hose fittings 44, such as 90° elbows having one threaded end and another end with a hose barb, can be inserted into the dispensing apertures 42 and coupled to the housing 20. In the example provided, a length of hose 46 is disposed between each hose fitting 44 and an associated one of the valves 22. The valves 22 can be any type of valve but in the particular example provided are Plastic Flow-Control Tube Clamp type clamps that are commercially available from McMaster-Carr Supply Company of Aurora, Ohio. The end of the valves 22 opposite the associated fitting 44 can be coupled in fluid connection to one or more delivery conduits 48. Each delivery conduit 48 may be perforated at one or more locations along its length to permit fluid therein to be delivered to one or more locations. It will be appreciated that the delivery conduit(s) 48 may be employed to provide water to the root systems of multiple plants (e.g., trees, shrubs) and that such capability can significantly reduce the costs of irrigating the multiple plants as compared to irrigating the multiple plants on an individual basis. The size and quantity of the perforations may be selected to provide a given flow rate. Moreover, the perforations may be formed after the delivery conduit 48 has been coupled to the valves 22 and positioned proximate the root system 14. It will be appreciated that the end of the delivery conduit 48 opposite the valves 22 may be left open to the atmosphere (to permit fluid to be dispensed therefrom) or may be capped (to permit fluid to be dispensed only via the perforations).

It will be appreciated that the valves 22 may be closed to inhibit the delivery of fluid in the container 26 to the delivery conduit 48. The opening of a first one of the valves 22 can permit water in the cavity 26 to be drawn down to a level associated with a first or vertically highest one of the dispensing apertures 42 and as such, a first quantity of fluid can be dispensed from the housing 20. The subsequent opening of a second one of the valves 22 can permit water in the cavity 26 to be drawn down to a level associated with a second or second highest one of the dispensing apertures 42 and as such, a second quantity of fluid can be dispensed from the housing 20. The subsequent opening of a third one of the valves 22 can permit water in the cavity 26 to be drawn down to a level associated with a third or third highest one of the dispensing apertures 42 and as such, a third quantity of fluid can be dispensed from the housing 20. In the example provided, each of the dispensing apertures 42 is spaced apart so that each of the first, second and third quantities of fluid is about three gallons.

It will be appreciated that one or more anchor attachments (not shown) could be coupled to the housing 20 to permit the housing 20 to be staked or otherwise fastened to the ground in a desired area. The anchor attachments, which are disclosed in the '698 patent application, can be a ring or tubular element that may be welded or adhesively coupled to the housing 20, for example.

The article 10 can be placed at a location that corresponds to a relatively high elevation (i.e., higher than the area 12 to be irrigated) on preferably level ground. If the article 10 is not on level ground, the dispensing apertures can face toward the bottom of the slope. The delivery conduit 48 can be laid out about the area or areas to be watered and if necessary, the delivery conduit 48 can be staked to the ground. If desired, the distal end of the delivery conduit 48 can be capped as discussed above. Alternatively, the distal end of the delivery conduit 48 can be coupled in fluid connection to one or more other articles 10 to provide further fluid delivery capacity. Perforations can be formed in the delivery conduit 48 in the area or areas to be watered. The cavity 26 can be filled with a suitable fluid and one or more of the valves 22 may be opened to initiate fluid delivery to the area or areas to be watered.

Another article constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure is indicated by reference numeral 10 a in FIG. 4. In the particular illustration provided, the article 10 a is illustrated to be a barrel having a volume of approximately 55 gallons. It will be appreciated, however, that the article 10 a can have any desired shape. The article 10 a is generally similar to the article 10 (FIG. 1) described above, except that the dispensing apertures 42 a are disposed proximate the base 100 of the housing 20 a and one or more riser tubes 102 that are disposed within the cavity 26 a that is defined by the housing 20 a. The riser tubes 102 can be tubular structures whose upper ends 104 (i.e., the end of the riser tube 102 opposite the dispensing apertures 42 a) are disposed at different heights within the cavity 26 a. Suitable fittings 106, such as T-fittings or elbows, can be fitted through the dispensing apertures 42 a and coupled to the lower end of each riser tube 102. The riser tubes 102 can be secured to the housing 20 a in any desired manner, such as by bonding the riser tube 102 to the outer wall 30 a of the housing 20 a.

Each of the valves 22 can be configured to control the distribution of fluid in the cavity 26 a out of a given one of the dispensing apertures 42 a. In the example provided, the article 10 a employs a quantity of six (6) dispensing apertures 42 a and five (5) riser tubes 102 and six (6) valves 22. A delivery conduit 48 can be coupled to the fitting 106 that is associated with the tallest of the riser tubes 102.

With reference to FIG. 5, the exterior of a similarly configured article 10 a′ is illustrated. While the article 10 a′ has an exterior configuration that simulates a rock and the article 10 a of FIG. 4 has a barrel shaped exterior configuration, it will be appreciated that the discussion of the interior and exterior plumbing of the article 10 a′ is similar to the exterior plumbing of the article 10 a of FIG. 4. The valve 22 a can be associated with a tallest one of the riser tubes 102 a and can be employed to selectively permit fluid communication between the riser tube 102 a and the delivery conduit 48. An intermediate conduit 110 can be coupled to the T-fitting 106 that is associated with the riser tube 102 a and the T-fitting 106 that is associated with the next highest riser tube 102 b. The valve 22 b can be employed to selectively permit fluid communication between the riser tube 102 b and the T-fitting 106 associated with the riser tube 102 a. Similarly, an intermediate conduit 110 can be coupled to the T-fitting 106 that is associated with the riser tube 102 b and the T-fitting 106 that is associated with the third highest riser tube 102 c. The valve 22 c can be employed to selectively permit fluid communication between the riser tube 102 c and the T-fitting 106 associated with the riser tube 102 b. It will be appreciated that all of the valves 22 a, 22 b, 22 c can be positioned in a closed position when the article 10 a′ is filled with water and thereafter the valves 22 a, 22 b and 22 c may be opened in sequence to permit portions of the water in the article 10 a′ to be dispensed in a desired manner. It will also be appreciated that the valve 22 a can be maintained in an opened condition when subsequent valves (e.g., valves 22 b, 22 c) are opened to permit the water to be dispensed through the delivery conduit 48. Alternatively, each of the valves 22 a, 22 b, 22 c could be coupled to a separate delivery conduit 48 to permit the portions of the water in the article 10 a′ to irrigate different areas, for example.

FIG. 6 illustrates another article 10 b constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure. The article 10 b can have a housing 20 b, a lid 24 b and a system for distributing water within the housing 20 b that can have the same interior and exterior plumbing configuration as the examples of FIGS. 4 and 5 (i.e., riser tubes, fittings, valves, intermediate conduits, etc.). The housing 20 b can include a first member 200, which can define a cavity 26 b, and a second member 202 that can be fully or partly into the first member 200. In the particular example provided, the first member 200 is shaped in the form of a planter and includes an annular ridge 204 that is relatively larger in diameter than a lower portion of the first member 200. The second member 202 can have a tray-like configuration that can be received into the annular ridge 204 of the first member 200 and abutted against the remaining portion of the first member 200. In the example provided, the bottom of the second member 202 is spaced apart from the top of the first member 200 by a distance of approximately 4 to 8 inches. The second member 202 may be unitarily formed from an appropriate solid (water impermeable) material, or could be formed of a porous material that permits water on the second member 202 to drain into the cavity 26 b. The lid 24 b can be disposed on a side of the first member 200 to permit a hole in the side of the first member 200 to be selectively opened so that the cavity 26 b may be filled with water. The configuration of the article 10 b provides water storage and dispensing capabilities, while permitting the space above the second member 202 to be filed with soil and/or another medium so plants (e.g., flowers) can be planted on the article 10 b.

It should be appreciated that any of the articles that have been illustrated and described herein could be formed with a base that is permanently fixedly coupled to the sidewalls of the housing. Alternatively, the base and the sidewalls of the housing could be separately formed and field assembled. One such configuration is illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8. In this example, article includes a housing assembly 300, a base 302 and a gasket 304. The housing assembly 300 can include a housing member 306, which can have a lower surface 308, and a plumbing system 310 that can be coupled to the housing member 306. The gasket 304 can be formed of an appropriate resilient material and can be disposed between the housing member 306 (e.g., the lower surface 308) and the base 302. The base 302 can be coupled to the housing member 306 such that the gasket 304 is sealingly engaged to the base 302 and the housing member 306. In this regard, the base 302 can frictionally engage the housing member 306 and/or could be coupled to the housing member 306 via fasteners and/or adhesives.

Yet another example is illustrated in FIGS. 9 through 11 wherein the article includes a housing assembly 320, a base 322 and a retainer 324. The housing assembly 320 can include a housing member 326, which can have a lower surface 328, and a plumbing system (not specifically shown) that can be coupled to the housing member 326. The base 322 can be a plastic bag-like material or a sheet of a non-porous material, such as plastic or an elastomer. The retainer 324 can be formed of a resilient material. As shown in FIG. 10, the base 322 can be draped over the lower surface 328 of the housing member 326. As shown in FIG. 11, the retainer 324 can be stretched over the base 322 and the housing member 326 and released to permit the retainer 324 to clamp the base 322 to the housing member 326. The excess portion of the base 322 may be trimmed in an appropriate manner.

While the articles 10, 10 a, 10 a′ and 10 b have been described above as being manually filled, it will be appreciated that the plumbing systems of the articles can include a fill fitting 400 that can be received through the housing 20 and coupled to a source of pressurized water 402 as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. In one form, the fill fitting 400 can be a connector that can be coupled to a hose 404; the hose 404 can be coupled to a valve (not shown) that can be manually opened to thereby remotely control the filling of the article. Alternatively, the fill fitting 404 can be coupled to a fluid conduit, such as the hose 404, that is coupled to a source of pressurized water and an opposite end of the fill fitting 400 can be coupled to an appropriate valve (not shown), such as a float valve, that opens in response to a situation in which the article is not filled with a predetermined quantity of water. In view of the disclosure herein, such fill fittings and valves are commercially available and as such, need not be described in significant detail herein.

While specific examples have been described in the specification and illustrated in the drawings, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined in the claims. Furthermore, the mixing and matching of features, elements and/or functions between various examples is expressly contemplated herein so that one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate from this disclosure that features, elements and/or functions of one example may be incorporated into another example as appropriate, unless described otherwise, above. Moreover, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure not be limited to the particular examples illustrated by the drawings and described in the specification as the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the teachings of the present disclosure, but that the scope of the present disclosure will include any embodiments falling within the foregoing description and the appended claims. 

1. An article for storing and dispensing water comprising: a housing defining a cavity that is configured to hold a predetermined volume of water; a plumbing system coupled to the housing, the plumbing system including at least one delivery conduit and a means for selectively dispensing a predetermined portion of the predetermined volume of water to the at least one delivery conduit.
 2. The article of claim 1, wherein the selective dispensing means includes a quantity (x) of riser tubes that are disposed in the cavity, each of the riser tubes having a different length.
 3. The article of claim 2, wherein each of the riser tubes is coupled to a valve that is coupled in fluid communication with the delivery conduit.
 4. The article of claim 3, wherein the quantity (x) is greater than one (1) and wherein the valves are disposed in series.
 5. The article of claim 2, wherein the selective dispensing means includes a quantity (y) of valves and wherein the quantity (y) of valves is greater than the quantity (x) of riser tubes.
 6. The article of claim 1, wherein the selective dispensing means includes a plurality of fittings and a plurality of valves, the fittings being received through the housing and being in fluid communication with the cavity, the valves being operable for selectively permitting fluid communication between an associated one of the fittings and the at least one delivery conduit.
 7. The article of claim 6, wherein the fittings are spaced vertically apart from one another.
 8. The article of claim 1, wherein the housing is shaped in the form of a flower pot or a rock.
 9. The article of claim 1, further comprising a tray member that is coupled to the housing, the tray member being adapted to hold a volume of soil at a location above the cavity.
 10. The article of claim 9, wherein the tray is formed of a non-porous material.
 11. The article of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a housing member, a base and a gasket, the gasket being received between and sealingly engaging the base and the housing member.
 12. The article of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a housing member, a base and a retainer, the base being wrapped around an open end of the housing member, the retainer sealingly coupling the base to the housing member.
 13. The article of claim 12, wherein the retainer is formed of a resilient material that is stretched over the base and the housing member.
 14. The article of claim 12, wherein the base is formed of a sheet material.
 15. The article of claim 14, wherein the sheet material is a resilient sheet material.
 16. A method for fabricating an article for storing and dispensing water, the method comprising: providing a housing member, the housing member having a wall member and an open bottom; coupling a plurality of fittings to the housing member, the fittings extending through the wall member; coupling a valve to at least a portion of the fittings, the valves being operable for selectively enabling fluid communication through an associated one of the valves; and coupling a base to the housing member to close the open bottom.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein a gasket is disposed between the base and the housing member.
 18. The method of claim 16, wherein coupling the base to the housing includes stretching the base over the open end of the housing and securing the base to the wall member.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein securing the base to the wall member includes stretching a retainer over the base and the open end of the housing and threreafter releasing the retainer. 